Newsletters | May 22, 2012

Congressional Briefing and Brief: Ending Family Homelessness with Rapid Re-Housing

Last Thursday, May 17, the Alliance hosted a briefing for congressional staff entitled "Rapid Re-Housing: Ending Family Homelessness." The briefing was sponsored by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), and staff from about two dozen congressional offices attended the briefing. The panel featured Nan Roman of the Alliance, Matt Minkevitch of Salt Lake City's The Road Home, Nan Stoops of Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Kelly Thompson of Davenport, IA's Humility of Mary Shelter, Inc., and Frank Johnson, a former client of the Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place in Washington, DC. Presenters discussed the success of their rapid re-housing efforts for homeless families, including veteran families and families with survivors of domestic violence.

During the briefing, the Alliance released a new brief on rapid re-housing. The brief highlights the tremendous impacts communities have achieved with the help of rapid re-housing for families. Mercer County, New Jersey, for example, has seen the number of families in their homeless service system decline on any given day by nearly one-third over a two year period. In Palm Beach County, Florida, nearly 70 percent of families who were rapidly re-housed exited homelessness within 30 days of entering shelter. In Hamilton County, Ohio, fewer than 10 percent of the 219 families assisted returned to shelter within two years of being re-housed.

House and Senate to Recess This week, the House is in recess for the Memorial Day holiday. Representatives are scheduled to return next Tuesday, May 29. The Senate will be in recess the week of Memorial Day and is scheduled to return Monday, June 4.